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The Flix List and a Poll! Vote for your five favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies

The Austrian former body-builder has got 50 titles under his belt… though the only one stretching his acting skills is probably playing the Governator of California, ahah. But after a decade since he played his iconic role that catapulted him to stardom, Schwarzenegger has reportedly confirmed he’ll be back for the next Terminator movie. I thought his comeback in The Last Stand was fun to watch, harkening back to his action hero roles of the 80s and 90s. Unfortunately it tanks at the box office, earning a paltry $7 mil so far. Don’t cry for him though, I don’t think Ahnuld’s going to let his career go down without a fight :D

So just for the fun of it, I partnered with my pal Ted S. to list our top five fave of Arnie’s movies all the way back to the early 80s.

Please vote at the end of the post for YOUR top five favorites!

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Ted’s Picks

After several years of serving the public as the governor of CA, Arnold’s back on the big screen and as a fan of his work, I’m pretty excited to see him kicking ass on the big screen again. I’ve seen every single one of his films, even the awful Hercules in NY, that’s the film I wish I hadn’t seen, seriously don’t ever see it.

Anyway, here are my favorite films he starred in:

5. Conan the Barbarian

John Milius’ 1982 film is kind of underrated when it comes to Arnold’s filmography. It has everything you want in this kind of genre, magic, swords play and lots of blood. Also, Basil Poledouris’ score was pretty great.

4. True Lies

Cameron and Arnold teamed up for the third time in this loosely remake of a 1991 French film, La Totale! As with most films directed by Cameron, it was the most expensive ever produced around that time, the budget was around $120mil. The film wasn’t as big hit as the studio had hoped but it was a fun action/adventure summer tent pole. Plus Arnold played a super spy and blew a lot of sh*t up; you can’t go wrong with that.

3. Predator

This was Arnold’s first major big box office hit and it’s one hell of a film. Under the direction of John McTiernan (Die Hard 1 & 3), this modern day telling of The Most Dangerous Game was filled with big shootouts and explosions. Keep an eye out for young writer/director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon series, Iron Man 3), he played one of the soldiers on Arnold’s team and he told a pretty funny and dirty joke in the movie.

2. Total Recall (1990)

Originally David Cronenberg was going to direct this film and Patrick Swayze was in talks to play the lead role. But when the producer couldn’t raise enough money, Arnold decided to buy the script and brought Paul Verhoeven on board to direct it. In an interview Verhoeven said he decided to ditch the more serious tone of the script because he knows that Arnold doesn’t have much range when it comes to acting, so he decided to make the film a little campy yet fun. Filled with shootouts, blood and a three breasts mutant hooker, the film was one of the biggest hits in the summer of 1990.

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

James Cameron’s epic sequel to his first sci-fi hit, The Terminator, is one of my favorite films ever! I’ve seen it countless times and bought many editions on home video, from VHS, DVD and Blu-ray. The film was filled with great special effects, long and spectacular car chases and shoot outs; it’s truly a great summer event film.

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Honorable mentions:

The Terminator:This one didn’t make my top 5 because well, Arnold’s the villain and he’s hardly in the movie. Originally Cameron wanted OJ Simpson to play The Terminator and Arnold was going to play the hero Kyle Reese, but upon reading the script, Arnold wanted The Terminator part. In a documentary about this film, there’s a funny story of how both Cameron and Arnold agreed that he should be The Terminator, give it a watch if you some free time.…

Red Heat: Walter Hill’s version of buddy cop action of the 80s, Arnold played a hard-nosed Russian cop who came to Chicago and had to team up with Chicago detective, James Belushi, to track down a Russian drug dealer who killed his partner. I thought Belushi was pretty funny as the not so friendly side kick and of course the film contained some good shootouts and a crazy bus chase on the streets of Chicago.…

Eraser: Warner Bros. thought they could start another famous one liner by having Arnold utter the words “You’ve been erased”, fortunately it never took off because when the trailer of the movie came out and audiences heard Arnold said that line, they bursts out laughing. So Warner decided not to use it as part of the promotion for the film. Besides that bad one liner, the film was actually a lot of fun. Filled with big stunts and shootouts, it’s the usual Arnold’s summer flick. Unfortunately it didn’t do as well as the studio had hoped since it opened in the busy summer of 1996 against heavy weights such as Mission: Impossible, Twister, The Rock and ID4. It was actually the last film of Arnold that earned $100mil domestically.…

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Ruth’s Picks

5. Kindergarten Cop

I quite like Arnold in action comedies, he should stick to this genre. Something about his acting style just lends itself to hilarious moments! He plays a tough city cop who has to go undercover as a kindergarten teacher in order to catch a drug dealer. The moment he went berserk watching kids being well, kids, yelling ‘SHUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!’ is quite a hoot.

4. The Last Stand

As you’ve perhaps read in my review, I enjoyed this movie and it’s one I actually don’t mind watching again. Ahnuld is not the usual invincible action hero, unabashedly poking fun at the fact that he’s no spring chicken anymore. Fun action filled with plenty of humor, I thought it was a pretty decent comeback vehicle for Arnold. I really think action comedies suit Arnold the best, I do hope this wouldn’t be his last in this genre.

3. Eraser

I know it’s not the most brilliant action thrillers out there, but I quite enjoyed this one. It’s Ahnuld doing what he does best, that is to protect a damsel in distress, even if that means fighting a slew of bad guys… and an alligator? Once again an evil corporation is involved, with James Caan as the villain. The damsel is played by Vanessa Williams, she’s not a good actress obviously, but she was sympathetic enough to make you care. I’m glad they didn’t force a romance between the two of them though. The special effects team was actually nominated for an Oscar, and the shootouts and car chases make for a pretty fun thrill ride. Plus I like the ending… yes the “You’ve just been erased” line isn’t quite as iconic as his other lines, but it actually works to great effect here.

2. Terminator 2 (1991)

This is easily the best Terminator movie of the bunch and perhaps one of the best sequels ever in the history of movie franchises. It’s got everything we love about the first movie and more! I like the relationship between Sarah Conor (the bad ass Linda Hamilton) and her son John (Edward Furlong), and the unlikely father/son bond between John Connor and the Terminator himself. There’s a lot of humor, such as when John teaches him phrases that became iconic, like ‘Hasta la vista, baby.’ Plus we’ve got a fantastic and terrifying villain in the form of a more advanced and deadlier T-1000, played in a scene-stealing performance by Robert Patrick. This is one of those classic sci-fi movies that not only entertain but actually make you think. “It’s in your nature to destroy yourselves.” Sadly, that’s not far from the truth.

1. True Lies (1994)

This is easily one of my favorite movies from the 90s as it’s so wildly entertaining. It’s yet another Arnie’s collaboration with James Cameron. It’s decidedly more lighthearted than the Terminator franchise, but just as action packed and packed with humor as well. Jamie Lee Curtis is perfectly cast as Arnie’s wife who’s kept in the dark as her husband leads a double life. There are tons of memorable scenes between this husband and wife, and Arnie + Jamie Lee share a strong chemistry! Plus there’s Moses himself Charlton Heston as the secret agency’s big boss!

This is a quintessential big, loud, popcorn Summer movie, and it absolutely works. It’s a fun thrill ride from start to finish, even though the terrorist villains are hilariously cartoonish. I also love the Tango he did with Tia Carrere, even though she does most of the dancing, ahah. It remains one of my favorite movie Tangos of all time!

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Honorable Mentions:

Conan The Destroyer
This is one of my childhood favorite, I don’t know why I loved it so much. I must’ve watched it over a dozen times! I haven’t watched it since though, but I put it here for nostalgia sake.…

The Last Action Hero
The fantastical time travel element makes this a fun action flick, and Arnie’s never been shy of self-parody. It’s a great spoof of his go-to action genre, playing on all the cliches and stereotypes. He plays a larger-than-life action hero Jack Slater, worshiped by a young boy who ends up being transported into Slater’s world where the good guys always saves the day. John McTiernan of the Die Hard fame directed this and it has a similar absurd rock ‘em, sock ‘em sensibilities that please action fans. I remember seeing this on the big screen with my brother and we both had a good time.…

The Terminator (1984)As Ted said, Arnold didn’t have as much screen time here compared to the second movie. Still, it’s one of the most iconic action sci-fis – full of memorable over-the-top scenes and one liners. “Come with me if you want to live.” I love Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese in this one, and of course Linda Hamilton is just perfectly cast. The idea that humans would be overtaken by the very things they created is intriguing and it’s been used many times over in various medium, but this franchise shall remains a classic even to this day. I haven’t seen this in a while, so I might rewatch this and T-2 sometime soon!

You know I almost included The 6th Day in the honorable mentions but I still can’t get past the silly concept of people using laser guns in the not too distant future timeline. Heck I think the film took place in our time since it came out in 2000 and the film stated that it’s not that far from that year. Where are those laser guns!? LOL.

My write in votes were for Stay Hungry and Pumping Iron. Way back in the 70’s. One’s a bodybuilding movie by Jack Nicholson’s good friend and collaborator Bob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens).The other one’s a doc about bod building. Guess Arnie went with what he knew back then.

He was mostly typecast smaller parts back then as a muscleman. Some of his credits were Hood, Lars, Hercules, Muscleman… you get the idea. Stay Hungry with Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, and a young Freddy Krueger, was his most notable film until Conan came along.The doc Pumping Iron was also notable for it showing his marijuana use and his comparing getting “pumped up” to having an orgasm. Pretty funny stuff. No wonder he couldn’t keep his hands off the maid. LOL. The Governator is numero uno indeed.

Saw Stay Hungry when it came out and enjoyed the heck out of it. Caught it again maybe ten years ago and was just as entertained. I have visited before but Ruth I need to come back more often. I just popped in from Fogs Link Bomb, I hope to make it back here again.

I voted for the two Terminator films, Predator, Total Recall, and the Running Man. The top four were easy picks, while the last one could be three or four others. The Running Man is hokey, but I like the silliness of it because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The Running Man was pretty much like The Hunger Games but the contestants are grown ups and considered “convicts”. The book is of course much better but Arnold’s film was still a lot of fun, fill with 80s version of futuristic world and cheesy dialogues. I have it on BD if you want to burrow it.

Raw Deal, a 6’2 muscular Austrian man with thick accent went under cover so he can work for Italian mob and somehow he got in. LOL, gotta love silly 80s movies plot line. I do love the shootout scene where Arnold single handily took out about 30 mobters.

I sharpened my movie teeth on these films! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this pictures. Predator is the main one though. I’m not exaggerating when I say this, but I bet you I can recite about 90 to 95% of the dialogue! Weird I know!

Hey, glad to see Kindergarten Cop on your list, too! I think Criterion probably deems it too silly, but I thought it was a brilliant role for Arnie. I do think action comedies are his forte, more so than straight action stuff.

After they released two of Michael Bay’s films, Armageddon and The Rock, as part of their collection; I highly doubt Criterion will ever touch a film starring Arnold. Their reputation took a major hit after they release those two Michael Bay’s films.

Maybe Terminator 1 & 2 since those were well respected by critics and fans but I don’t think they can get the rights to release them as part of their collection.

I think it’s kind of pretentious to not put out the best action and horror films. Just because it’s not an existential drama something doesn’t mean it didn’t make an impact in the world of cinema. I mean, really? No Carpenter, no McTiernan? C’mon, now. There’s gotta be something they can release.

Very true, Sir! I think there are a ton of very good action and horror films out there that deserve to be included [not Armageddon though]. I think those folks probably shun ‘entertaining’ films, it’s like the bleaker the better for them y’know. I mean, nothing against bleak dramas but not all of them are created equal.

They make the mistake of basically supporting an either-or mentality. I love Ingmar Bergman, but I also love well-made action movies. Armageddon is NOT one of them, so yea, they shot themselves in the foot with that one.

Ruth and Sir Phobos… interestingly enough Criterion basically replied to the Michael Bay criticism saying were not movie snobs. They cited releasing films like The Blob, And God Created Women, The Beastie Boys Video Anthology, Carnival of Souls, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy, John Woo’s movies and a couple of Andy Warhol movies. Upcoming is a release for Alex Cox’s cult classic Repo Man. Sure their bread and butter is art house, foreign, docs and stuff no one else will even touch. While Criterion welcomes suggestions they just aren’t able cherry pick any movie they want because the rights holders don’t want to give them up. Also a lot of Criterion DVD’s go out of print because they can only acquire the rights for a limited amount of time. A lot of people don’t realize that Criterion’s motto is:

“The Criterion Collection is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions of the highest technical quality, with supplemental features that enhance the appreciation of the art of film.”

Something tells me you’re not going to see the 3 disc, Ivan Reitman approved Directors Cut of Kindergarten Cop with special features like a full length, subtitled, commentary by Arnold Schwarzenegger, “My Dad the Director” a video appreciation by Jason Reitman, “Cathy Moriarity: If I may axe… where have you’se been since Raging Bull?”, “Penelope Ann Miller and Park Overall: Together Again” *** and last but not least an 8 page critical essay booklet by Janet Maslin. Now that… would be silly. ;)

***Bonus points to anyone can tell me the movie Penelope an Park were in together previously … without Googling it.

“Bleak” Ruth? Ingmar Bergman was from Sweden and they don’t get a lot of sunlight there especially in the winter months there so you get films like Wild Strawberries whose description is… and I cant make this up… “After living a life marked by coldness, an aging professor is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence.”. Where did you ever get “bleak”? LOL

Ted … some food for thought… they did release Verhoeven’s Robocop so the idea of releasing his Total Recall with Arnold is not totally out of the question. Although with the remake boosting the sales of the original DVD/Blu-ray it probably won’t happen anytime soon.

Yea, well I want that version of Kindergarten Cop. I’d pay 30 for it. Just saying.

It’s funny, because I actually own the Criterion Robocop DVD. Yeaaa….I forgot about that one. The thing about having the rights is totally fair. I still have a sneaking suspicion they don’t try as hard as they could for some movies. I mean, they’re Criterion. I would think filmmakers and the people who own rights to films would love to be a part of that. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t really know the process involved with getting/maintaining rights, but it just stands to reason from where I’m sitting.

As far as being part of the prestige of Criterion, that is exactly why Michael Bay was working with them. Certain directors release their director approved editions like Fincher, Wes Anderson, Soderberg, Richard Linklater, etc because they are the gold standard. You’d think Lucas, Spielberg, Cameron, Coppola, and especially Scorsese (excepting The Last Temptation of Christ) would want all their films given the Criterion treatment but they haven’t (excepting The Last Temptation of Christ). Money, rights, too busy? Who knows?

Pretentious or not Criterion’s sees film as art and it’s reflected in their philosophy and in their choices… so probably no Kindergarten Cop. Certainly not for the low price of $30 dollars. LOL.

Yup, I actually still have the Criterion DVD of Robocop. I remember I paid like $30 for it back in the late 90s when DVD was still new. I wanted to see the uncut version because I only have the theatrical version on VHS. Now that uncut version is the only cut available on Blu-ray.

Love Schwarzenegger and have seen quite a lot of his movies. Personal favorites:
1. Terminator 2 (althought the original is good too)
2. Last Action Hero (loved the concept of this movie)
3. Predator
4. Total Recall (a sci fi classic)
5. Kindergarten Cop (“It’s not a tuuumoor” or “I’m the party pooper” are just classic lines)

Ted. You’ll be pleased to knoow that when Cameron was sending out scripts. He wanted Michael Biehn to play the Terminator. Arnold noted this and suggested he and Biehn swap roles.

Also like Cameron’s Roger Corman money saving idea of using the close ups of the trash compactor truck just before Arnold made his entrance. A clever extension of the robotics of the future to segue into a mundane, present day event.

“There is no Third, Fourth or Fifth.” Ahah, I love your convictions, Kevin. As for Biehn, oh he definitely is better as Kyle Reese! Btw, I think Cameron told Arnie that the film isn’t about the hero, it’s about The Terminator. He’s certainly right about that.

Yeah I remember Cameron saying that in the script, The Terminator was written as this not so intimating man. Even Lance Henricksen tested for the role. Obviously he made the right choice by choosing Arnold to play the part instead.

I’m still waiting for True Lies to come out on Blu-ray, I haven’t seen it in years. I don’t know why Cameron and Fox won’t release it on the format yet, I mean they’re on good terms so there shouldn’t be any conflicts. Cameron just made Fox a ton of money with Avatar and soon the sequels.

I’ve said it in previous occasions and I’ll say it again, Arnold is perhaps my biggest guilty pleasure when it comes to the movies. I love how most of the films he has starred in don’t try to be more than what they are intended to be. Some even had the courage to propose something original, inventive, and unexpected.
For me there’s no question that Terminator 2 is his greatest moment and the one he’ll surely be remembered for. The other role that could probably outlive him might be his famous take as Conan The Barbarian, which so happens to be one of the few Arnold films I absolutely don’t care for. I, for one, find it cheap, cheesy and with some of the worst acting in the history of film.
My top 5 goes like this: Terminator 1 & 2, Predator, Kindergarten Cop, and Total Recall.

Ahah, I thought T2 would be winning. Oh, Jingle All The Way is fun, I should rewatch that. It was filmed partly in Minnesota, including the Mall of America :) I actually saw Arnold once shopping for sunglasses there, that must’ve been a decade ago. He’s not very tall actually.

I remember Jingle All The Way was filmed here in late April and they had to come up with fake snow since the weather was getting warm. I think that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t really enjoy the movie, it didn’t look like a Minnesota’s winter because I knew it was filmed in the spring and the snow looked fake.

Ahah, you’re right I don’t go for body builders either Nov, but his role as Terminator is just so iconic, I remember thinking it was such a darn cool movie, same w/ The Matrix. You should check out True Lies, it’s a spoof of the spy genre, and if you like him in action comedies, that’s one of his best!

Gotta be Terminator 2 at the top every day of the week for me! Then probably Predator. One of my favourites is Hercules in New York, despite it being probably the worst film made by anyone ever. It’s soooo bad that it’s really quite funny!

Hey Terry, I like Conan The Destroyer for its inherent cheesy-ness as well. I mean Arnie is just this big dumb thing that slays people y’know, and the supporting cast are just unintentionally funny! I might rewatch it just for the laughs!

Well, since the movies I listed are the only Arnold movies I’ve ever seen makes it easy. Never been a very keen action flick gal, but I actually have seen Die Hard and Iron Man (not Arnold’s movies, but you get the gist… ha ha).

Ha ha, Jingle All the Way, I remember they first cast Joe Pesci as the mail man but they realized he’s way too small to be Arnie’s nemesis so they went with Sinbad instead. A fun movie but I don’t think I can sit through it again now as an adult.

I’m really not a big fan of Arnie but there’s no denying that he’s done some decent movies over the years. Nice to Last Action Hero getting at least a mention. I always thought that was overly criticised. It was a lot of fun.

I liked Last Action Hero too but somehow I thought the film never came together, I think John McTiernan was not the right person to direct that movie. His style is more straight action/adventure and Last Action Hero was more of comedy/action/fantasy and he couldn’t pull it off. Steven Spielberg was going to direct it and he would’ve been perfect choice, but he decided he wanted to make a little film called Jurassic Park, which came out the same summer as Last Action Hero and crushed every film that summer.

RaNdom MOVIE TRIVIA …

... on the live-action movie CINDERELLA:

If you pay attention during the ballroom dance scene, you will notice many of the dresses are designed on the dresses of various Disney princesses. You can spot Belle, Tiana, Aurora, Snow White, Mulan and Ariel.

Emma Watson was in talks to star as the title character but a deal could not be worked out with Disney. She was later cast as Belle in Beauty and the Beast (2017), Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast (1991).

It's a common misconception that Disney's Cinderella (1950) and subsequently Cinderella (2015) cut some of the more violent and disturbing elements of the Brother's Grimm fairy tale (such as the step-sisters cutting off their heels and toes to make the slipper fit and birds pecking out their eyes) in order to make the film more family friendly. In truth, Disney did not base the original film off of the Brothers Grimm's "Aschenputtel" (19th century) but rather on "Cendrillon" written by Charles Perrault in 1697. Perrault's version includes the fairy godmother and the pumpkin coach that are absent from the Grimm version, and does not include some of the more sinister elements. Both Cinderella (1950) and Cinderella (2015) credit the film as based on the Perrault story.

There's a scene at the back of their house where Cinderella is feeding the animals while she's humming the song "Sing, Sweet Nightingale". The song is also sung by Cinderella while doing her chores in the 1950 animated film.

Lily James originally auditioned for the role of Anastasia Tremaine before being cast as Cinderella.

Imogen Poots, Bella Heathcote, Margot Robbie, and Lily James tested for the lead role. The role went to James.

Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander, and Gabriella Wilde were all considered to play Cinderella.

(Per New York Times interview w/ Kenneth Branagh) – As for “have courage and be kind,” the mantra that some have suggested reduces Cinderella to an anti-feminist milquetoast, Mr. Branagh likened it to the nonviolent resistance of Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

He added: “I’m proud that a sophisticated, intelligent and passionate girl emerges out of a classical framework where her empowerment is not at the price of becoming like a man. I think it celebrates her specific femaleness in a way that encourages people to be who they are, not necessarily in competition with the opposite gender or with an attempt to be what other people appear to wish them to be.”